Issue 141 (May - Jun 2021)

Virtually every action that a person undertakes is affected by his intentions. Whether they be mundane and routine or grandiose and life-changing, our true, heart-felt goals influence us on a massive scale. By following this logic, it remains imperative that we work to refine and hone our intention…

While attempting to obtain a love for knowledge and willpower to think, one must not overlook reality or disregard past experiences. One must relate to the “sense of reality” under the watch of reason and control of conscience, and consider it on a par with one’s ability to taste, smell, and touch…

The amiable koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), which can often be found sleeping while clinging on to trees, may resemble a teddy bear but is instead a herbivorous marsupial (marsupials are endemic to Australia and Americas, and their main characteristic is they carry their young in a pouch). Being a…

I have read numerous books and written reviews of some, but The Humanity of Muhammad: A Christian View gave me a special reflection treat thanks to the brilliance, effort, and integrity of Dr. Craig Considine who offers in the book some foundations of thought and practice to overcome conflicts in o…

Every one of our five senses is unique in their own way. The miraculous sense of smell is pointed to in the famous story of Prophet Joseph when his father Prophet Jacob said, “I sense the fragrance of Joseph” from afar, and when he rubbed his shirt to his sightless eyes, he regained his sight (Qur’…

For many people, especially in today's world, it is very hard to reconcile the personal, sometimes seemingly intolerable, suffering of admirable and pious people with Divine justice and love. Believers of all religions face this challenge. There are many answers offered from karma to reincarnation…

Owls are known to be a symbol of wisdom throughout history in ancient Greece, Asia, and America. They are also unquestionably mysterious predators. This mystery derives from the math they seem to be utilizing during the hunt: owls can use the parabolic system to spot their prey. This system is “pa…

The recent pandemonium enveloping us all unsheathes a swashbuckling double-edged sword advancing our retreat into global disconnect may our union reunite beating swords into plowshares

Hi, my name is Everlasting. I know what you are thinking. What an absurd name, what a paradox, as no one can last forever except in paradise.  Well, I’m not sure who gave me the name, but I like it. It gives me the power to grow in an environment where many would not dare to visit. I am one of tho…

Absorption can never mean the unity of being—the unity (union) of God and the universe or God’s being identical with the universe—in the sense that pantheists claim, nor is distinguishing totally its opposite. The One Who is the Eternal (beyond all time and space) is eternal, and the beings who are…

“Black cumin is healing for all diseases except death.” Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Studies on the positive effects of black cumin have a long history. Even a simple list of the titles of these studies would take many pages. The research in the fields of modern biochemistry, organic chemistry, cyt…

Bennet Omalu[1] is a physician specialized as a forensic expert and pathologist, which means he examines the tissues and organs of dead people to determine their cause of death. One day, he was asked to prepare an autopsy report about the corpse of a 50-year-old man named Mike Webster, a former pro…

He does not have a familiar name like Nicolaus Copernicus, Roger Bacon, or Galileo, but Ibn al-Haytham’s name is the reason that those aforementioned scientists carry the weight that they do today. A product of the Islamic Golden Age, Ibn al-Haytham dedicated his entire life to making sense of the…

“Sincerity” in the Islamic Tradition Ikhlas is a Qur’anic concept that is variously translated as “sincerity” or “purity of intention,” and Gülen’s understanding of this term covers both aspects of the Qur’anic concept. In ordinary parlance, “sincerity” indicates the notion of honesty or freedom f…

Question: The need for affiliation and sense of belonging are human conditions, but they may sometimes overshadow charitable actions. What should believers do to engage in altruistic work with the intentions of only pleasing God and without seeking credit for themselves and their affiliated groups…

More, more, and more Adams GS et al. People systematically overlook subtractive changes. Nature, April 2021 A recent study showed that human beings are driven by a powerful instinct to add rather than subtract in daily problem solving. Researchers asked 1,585 participants to solve puzzles or prob…